Reducing Oneida County Board of Legislators

    Reducing the size of the Oneida County Board of Legislators has been on the table since 2009. The original recommendation was to cut six members from current 29-seats starting in 2014. And at the last legislative meeting that number was approved although not every legislator is thrilled with the scenario.

            Ron Townsend, 1^st district representative say, "We're the worker bees, we're the ones out on the streets in their yards when there's something wrong and to cut that down and add another couple thousand people to my district in a big area, I don't know if I can cover everybody."

            The public turnout was small and some feel it was because of the time it was held. But those who came out were given the chance for their concerns to be voiced.

            County Executive Anthony Picente says, "We've been discussing this in great deal really since 2006 when the charter review panel was commissioned and here we are in 2012 and we still haven't resolved it. I'm eager like everybody else to get this done and move on whatever the decision is so we can really deal with the issues of government that are most important to the people."

            The public turnout was small and some feel it was because of the time it was held. But those who came out were given the chance for their concerns to be voiced.

            Kirkland resident Garry Colarusso says, "You know the more you spread these representatives out over, not only over a larger footprint but for a larger constituency, I think you run the risk of thinning that relationship out between the public and the elected officials so yeah there's always that possibility."

            The County Executive has roughly fifteen days to approve or veto the six seat cut.